Should Visit Israeli Areas

In his letter "Issues Not 'Political Differences'" [Oct. 20], Bill Shortell, the political director of the Eastern States Conference of Machinists, writes about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict after his visit to Palestinian areas. He might have a more even-handed point of view if he visited the Israeli cities, towns and villages that have seen unending attacks by Arabs. An Israeli leader once said that "if the Palestinians laid down their arms there would be peace. If the Israelis laid down their arms there would be no Israel."

As for the discrepancy in numbers between Palestinian and Israeli casualties that Mr. Shortall quotes, there is an old Jewish saying: "The world may have sympathy for us when we are killed. They don't like it when we prevent ourselves from being killed."

Let's see if a fact-finding mission to Israel proper can be found for Mr. Shortell. Perhaps then he might sound more reasonable.